Roman Holiday
by NatesMama
Summary: A quick short originally written for a BoneYard challenge. Halloween secrets and scheming.


As soon as she entered the faux-web-covered doors of the ballroom at the Jeffersonian, Brennan knew this was a bad idea. She usually tolerated Halloween, as long as she could dress as her perennial favorite, Wonder Woman. But this year, Angela had talked her into trying something different, and she was already regretting her acquiescence.

She looked around the dark room, trying to find someone she knew among the Harry Potters roaming by. Finally, she spotted Angela, chatting with someone who looked suspiciously like Hodgins dressed as a Smurf.

"Ang! Where have you been? You talked me into this and didn't even meet me out front like you promised!" Brennan railed at her.

"Oh, sweetie! I'm sorry…I got to chatting with Papa Smurf here and got distracted." Angela apologized, nodding to Hodgins, who wore a big grin on his face.

"Lookin' hot there, Dr. B.!" He smiled. "Very…historically accurate."

"Thank you, Hodgins. Angela thought I should try something different this year. I'm not sure I like it."

"Oh, I think you'll love it, Brennan! You really do look stunning." Angela gushed. "Really."

Brennan looked down at her outfit again. She wouldn't have thought to dress as Cleopatra on her own, complete with rubber snake wrapped around her arm, but she had to admit that if she was going to deviate from her usual Halloween plan, at least she was dressed as a strong woman.

Her musings were interrupted by the man who had just entered through the doors. Booth sauntered into the party, wearing a Roman-style short toga with gold piping and a deep red sash. On his head, he wore a very authentic-looking corona, and on his feet were gold sandals that laced almost to his knees.

"Hmm. Who Booth is supposed to be? Marc Antony, maybe?" she asked a gaping Angela, one eyebrow raised.

"Wow. Some men can pull off any look! Nice legs, G-Man!" Angela purred, as Booth stopped in front of them.

Booth was about to answer Angela when he noticed Brennan's costume. Her white wrap dress was sleeveless and left her shoulders bare, as well. The collar was adorned with a gold Egyptian necklace and the waistline was fastened with a gold-colored satin tie. Brennan had added a long, straight black wig and jewel-encrusted crown.

"Wow, Bones. Nice asp!" Booth grinned, gesturing to the snake on Brennan's wrist.

Hodgins managed to turn away from the group before spitting his champagne all over them. "Oh man! How long have you been waiting to tell her that?" he gasped.

Brennan rolled her eyes at both men. "You two are incorrigible. And you…' she continued, wheeling on Angela, "Don't think I don't get the whole "Queen of Denial" joke, either!"

Booth started to sense that Brennan was going to make a scene, so he grabbed her by the asp and dragged her to the dance floor. "C'mon, Bones…come cut a rug with me!"

"Booth, this floor is parquet, not carpeted. I don't see how…"

"It's just an expression, Bones. It means, 'Lets dance!'" Booth explained, placing his hands on her hips and swaying them to the slow ballad the band was currently playing.

From their spot near the dance floor, Hodgins and Angela were watching the couple closely, and they were soon joined by Cam and Sweets, who were also interested in the drama going on in front of them.

"So, how did the costumes go over?" Cam asked.

"Not bad." Angela replied. "And you were right, Sweets. Booth made the 'asp' joke almost immediately."

"Yeah, I kind of suspected he would. It's a good joke." Sweets laughed, happy to have called Booth out beforehand.

On the dance floor, the partners watched their friends watching them as they moved together slowly, matching the beat of the romantic song perfectly.

"So, Booth…do you think they'll ever suspect that we've been dating for weeks?" Brennan chuckled, running her fingers through the hair at the nape of Booth's neck.

Booth rubbed slow circles on her lower back, looking down at her tenderly. "Nah, Bones. They are too wrapped up in trying to get us together to bother. Can't see the forest for the trees, you know."

"Oh…I know what that means!"


End file.
